Tuala Oli Ah Him is the Samoa Hotel Association’s (S.H.A.) President for a third term.
At the organisation’s Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday evening at the Hotel Millenia in Sogi, there was a slight reshuffle with some new faces there to support Tuala for the next year.
In addition to Tuala, Amituanai Faleulu Mauli from the Tatiana Motel returns, uncontested, as Vice President, Charlotte Chan Mow – Brunt from the Orator Hotel steps into the position of Treasurer and Adele Kruse from Hotel Insel Fehmarn and S.H.A.’s outgoing Treasurer, returns to the Board as the organisation’s Secretary.
Filling out the Executive’s General Member positions are Sesilia Schwalger, from the Bayview Resort, Lynelle Levi from the Amanaki Hotel and Vaimoana Hunt from the Moanalisa Hotel.
Below is the press release issued by the S.H.A. in full: The Samoa Hotels Association (SHA) held its Annual General Meeting at the Tiafau Fale, Hotel Millenia on Tuesday 15th April 2014. Re-elected President Tuala Oli Ah Him addressed the members on SHA’s achievements and progress for 2013.
He acknowledged that although the industry had suffered great setbacks as a result of Cyclone Evan, the Association continues to advocate and represent the members’ issues and further strengthen SHA’s position as the leading industry body for the tourism sector via collaborative partner relationships with Samoa Tourism Authority (STA), the Government of Samoa, Development Partners such as NZAID, and various other organizations including Samoa Chamber of Commerce.
On Post Cyclone Evan and the Tourism Cyclone Recovery Programme (TCRP), Tuala informed the membership that “Government’s confidence in SHA secured our appointment as the focal point for the TCRP in March 2013 and we have since worked closely with the Samoa Tourism Authority (STA) facilitating industry disaster recovery works focusing on the reconstruction of our businesses, recovering market demand, training and capacity building opportunities as well as contracting technical assistance currently faced by our members such as coastal erosion, flood prone areas and inflexible insurance schemes”.
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The TCRP will also be providing the industry with great capacity building opportunities addressing skills gaps identified from various recent Training and Needs Analysis data in the areas of Customer Service, Tour Guiding, Food and Beverage just to name a few.
Tuala encouraged the membership to take up this great opportunity fully funded by NZAID and delivered by APTC. Addressing concerns from the membership on the decreased revenue generated from the Association’s booking engine, Tuala advised that, “Recognizing the challenges of e-commerce and various booking engines that have reduced SHA’s share of online bookings, SHA has sought innovative ways to increase our income and thus made a submission to Government to allow SHA as the main centralized reservations system for the UNSIDS Conference. Endorsement of this proposal in April 2013 is a testament of Government’s favorable acknowledgement of SHA’s work in the tourism industry”.
The importance of this endorsement allows the association to pay itself commissions for their own properties that would have otherwise been lost to a third party, generally operating outside Samoa. Commissions earned from the UNSIDS bookings will be channeled back for the continuous development of the Association. Wide representation of SHA Executive Council on key boards, task forces and committees was mentioned as SHA’s vehicles to capitalize on opportunities to strengthen the association and its members.
Tuala commended STA and government’s commitment to attract M.I.C.E markets as well as supporting the niche and destination marketing via initiatives such as the recent Samoa Tourism Exchange 2014 which saw over 50 suppliers from as far as China, United Kingdom and Canada.
“It is this spirit of working together that has strengthened Samoa’s tourism efforts and your SHA. Our united progressing of tourism with all relevant players is the only positive way forward” said the SHA President. In his final note, Tuala highlighted the growth in SHA Members and acknowledged the assistance of its members through subscriptions and commissions.
“Your attendance and participation in our association meetings, workshops and consultations have greatly contributed to the work of SHA. Your subscriptions and commissions assist with the running of our association’s operations are greatly appreciated”.
The SHA council 2014/15 was elected via secret ballot which was scrutinized by two members of Betham and Co Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors.
The new Executive Council for 2014/15 is as follows: President -Tuala Oli Ah Him (Hotel Millenia) Vice President - Afoa Amituanai Faleulu Mauli (Tatiana Motel) Treasurer – Charlotte Chan Mow – Brunt (Orator Hotel) Secretary – Adele Kruse (Hotel Insel Fehmarn) General Member – Sesilia Schwalger (Bayview Resort) General Member - Lynelle Levi (Amanaki Hotel) General Member - Vaimoana Hunt (Moanalisa Hotel) Tuala gave special acknowledgement to the outgoing council members Toleafoa Mara Hunter (Le Alaimoana Hotel), Francois Martel (Namu’a Island Beach Fales) and Pulepule Steve Young (Pasefika Inn) and welcomed on board the newly elected council members Charlotte Chan Mow-Brunt (Orator Hotel), Lynelle Levi (Amanaki Hotel) and Vaimoana Hunt (Moanalisa Hotel). For more information on SHA and its projects please contact the office on telephone 30160 or email ceo@samoa-hotels.ws.
SHA operates an online booking
website www. samoahotels.ws and also has a corporate website for membership and general public viewing www.samoahotelassociation.ws
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